Make At Home Superfood Infused Vegan Chocolate Bark

If there is one thing i have a deep love for that never seems to waiver, it's chocolate.  That said, i'm not an 'any-kind-of-chocolate' type of girl.  I don't care for the cheap drug-store chocolates, milk chocolate, or white chocolate.  Rather i should say, i'm not entirely opposed to them, but I just don't get the same 'feels' with them as i do with a deep, dark, rich, slightly sweet, decadent, melt in my mouth, take me to outer-space, type of darker-quality-chocolate.

I also prefer Vegan preparations of chocolate, given my intolerance to dairy, and i love when chocolate is infused with healing herbs, ayurvedic medicinals, coconut, and love....

Enter....my latest affair with chocolate....this simple make-at-home Superfood Infused Vegan Chocolate Bark.

INGREDIENTS:

4 Tbsp Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

1 Tbsp Coconut Butter (I used Nutivas coconut manna)

2 Tbsp cacao powder

1 scoop or 1 packet VEGAN Chocolate Shakeology

2 Tbsp Vegan Vanilla Shakeology

Culinary Dried Rose Petals

Sea Salt

What i love about using Shakeology specifically for this recipe is that it infuses the bark with over 70 adaptogenic herbs and superfoods including some of my Ayurvedic favorites such as Ashwagandha and Moringa.  Ashwagandha is a rasayana meaning it's used to promote physical as well as mental health.  Specifically it's known to strengthen your immune system, increases your stamina, and has even been shown to help reduce cortisol levels (the stress hormone that makes us store fat).  Moringa is a super-nutrient-dense green packed with anti-oxidants and poly-phenols.  It's known to help with inflammation, is packed with vitamins and minerals, and is revered in Ayurvedic medicine for helping to prevent or treat over 300 dis-eases.

DIRECTIONS:

Start with your base:  Coconut Oil and Coconut Butter

Melt them in a pot stirring over med-high heat stirring often 

Remove from the heat and add in the powdered cacao and shakeology, stirring until all little lumps are smoothed out.

Pour into a non stick container and let set in the fridge for a short moment to cool.

Before the top begins to harden add on any additional toppings; pictured here dried rose leaves and sea salt.  Other great options are goji berries or dried cherries, dried coconut, pumpkin seeds, and sea salt.  Once your toppings are on, place the bark pan in the freezer until frozen (freezes quite quickly).  Remove from freezer once set, break into chunks, and store in the freezer until ready to each (they do melt quite quickly).

No Bake Pumpkin Energy Bites

If you thought my Salted Chocolate Dipped Maple Almond Butter Bites were easy, then this is a CAKE walk...and ironically these little balls taste like cake too.  They use only six simple ingredients (if you count spices and salt as an ingredient), no baking, no prepping, it's literally drop the food in the food processor, blend, and roll into balls.  YES, it's that simple, and they are so delicious.  They are just as good without chocolate in them.  As a matter of fact, if you leave out the cacao nibs and add a pinch of powered ginger and a dash of cinnamon to the recipe below, you'll essentially have what tastes like the healthiest version ever of the Hostess Cinnamon Streusel Topping that comes on their little coffee cakes (yes i ate these as a kid).

You'll need:

`9 medjool dates - remove the pit, if they are very dry you may need to soak them in water for a few minutes.  i used the ones pictured.  They were quite moist and required zero soaking
`1/2 cup of coconut flour
`1/2 cup of pumpkin puree (i used canned)
`1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
` a couple cranks of sea salt
`2 Tbsp of cacao nibs (or chocolate chips)

Step One:  Add everything but the cacao nibs/chocolate chips to a food processor with an S blade, and process until it makes a sticky crumble texture and tends to wad up on one side of the food processor.    Add the cacao nibs/chocolate chips and process again to mix in   Test the batter by making sure if you grab a little piece it's tacky and will stick together when you start rolling.

Step two:  Roll into balls of any size you prefer.  I rolled medium sized balls and this recipe yielded 11 pumpkin energy bites. 

Step 3: Devour or Share.  I recommend keeping any remaining bites in a glass container in your refrigerator. 

 The bites are really 'cakey' inside, and taste almost like pumpkin or carrot cake.  

They are truly delicious.

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Sweet Treat: Rawlicious Choco Cookie Dough Bites

It's late June and summer has finally arrived.  While i'm looking forward to this July 4th weekend and all the BBQ's, decadent foods and drinks, bike rides, and socializing that's to be had, i'm equally looking forward to bringing in beach season (and my desire to feel my best in my bikini) by participating in (and leading) a 20 day cleanse starting the end of next week.  With that said....i have 7 days left to enjoy the richness of life (though i always like to keep it with a cleaner approach).  So for my last hoorah, and to inspire you how to clean up your fave cookie dough recipe, here's a great approach for a safe to eat chocolate chip cookie dough that never needs to be cooked.

Here's what you'll need:

a vitamix blender or other high powered mill (food processor or coffee mill will work - though you'd have to do the coffee mill in batches)
1 cup cashew pieces
1/2 cup gluten free raw oats (bob's red mill)
approx 3 tbsp agave nectar
approx 1 -2 tbsp water
cinnamon
vanilla
sea salt
a few handfuls of chocolate chips (or use cacao nibs for a full raw experience)


Toss the cashew pieces and oats into your vitamix blender (or other high powered mill like a food processor or coffee mill in batches).  Grind down to a fine powder/flour.  Add the agave nectar to your flour, a dash or two of cinnamon, a tbsp of water, a crank of sea salt, and about a tsp of vanilla extract.  Blend again.  If dough is stingy add a little more water to get things moving, but make sure you keep it a thick dough.  Remove your dough from the blender, set in a small mixing bowl, and stir in a few handfuls of the best choco chips you can find.  Take small spoonfuls to roll between your hands, place on a parchment lined plate and place in your fridge or freezer.  My batch yielded about 13 balls, though if i didn't eat so much dough in the process i might have 15 total.  :)

Salted Chocolate Dipped Maple Almond Butter Bites

These are seriously so good, so simple, and the hardest part is not eating them all.

I chose to use Enjoy Life chocolate chips to keep the recipe allergy free and VEGAN, but if you're not vegan or dairy free you can pick your favorite chocolate to use for the outside of the 'bites'.

 JUST 4 INGREDIENTS: 

1/2 cup Maple Almond Butter (or any almond butter)  

1/4 cup Coconut Flour

1/2 cup Chocolate Chips

Pink Coarse Grind Sea Salt for topping

Step one:  Mix the coconut flour into the almond butter in a bowl until fully combined and semi crumbly, but also still sticks together.  If you have a more oily almond butter you may need more coconut flour.  If your almond butter is really dry you may need less.

Step two:  Use either a rounded teaspoon scoop or a Tbsp scoop (depending how big you want your bites) to scoop the batter onto parchment paper.  Once complete, let set in the freezer for 10-20 minutes (based on your patience factor of which i have about ZERO).

Step three:  Melt the chocolate morsels in a tiny pot or bowl if using a microwave. 

Side note, I got rid of my microwave YEARS ago after reading a bunch of not-so-healthy side effects of using them.  Sometimes i get sad when i see microwaved mug cakes on pinterest and realize i would have to make it in an oven and it will take longer, but then i remember my health is more important than the time lost from not microwaving.  No offense meant if you have one, rather it's something you might want to read up on.  If you do have a microwave and I came over your house, I'd probably be jazzed AF to use it.

Step four:  Remove your 'naked' maple almond butter bites from the freezer and use a fork or spoon to submerge them one by one into the melted chocolate and fully cover.  As you dip each one, place it back on the parchment paper, top with a pinch or crank of sea salt, and freeze for another 10 minutes

Step five:  My favorite part...  Remove from freezer and EAT.  I'm one of those girls who can't have just one (of any treat), so generally I either make a half batch or i make them when i'm about to leave for an event or to meet someone so I can gift them to my friends.  You do need to keep these in the freezer or fridge until you've eaten them all.  ENJOY!

No Bake Deep Chocolate Superfood Brownie

As if you need a reason to eat the most decadent, but incredibly healthy brownie in the world.  

Well in case you do, i'll give you three:

1. It's got over 20grams of plant based protein

2. it's a great source of healthy fats

3. and contains over 70+ superfoods plus probiotics to keep your body balanced

Recipe's on the image.  It's super simple and will completely curb your sweet tooth and totally satiate you.  

Learn more about superfood Shakeology on my WEBSITE, or order a bag or packets directly with me HERE and have the option to become a member of my online community.

Superfood Single Girl Skinny Cake

Moist delicious chocolate cake that's good for you?  YES!  Chocolate cake you can have for breakfast? DOUBLE YES!  Filling, energizing, low fat, low cal, and packed with Superfoods?  TRIPLE YES!

Who says you can't have your cake and eat it too?

Have i ever disappointed you with a recipe or program that didn't give your tastebuds and waistline the results you wanted?  NO!  That's not how this chic works.  I taste test for you (i know, it's hard work), i make sure my recipes are waistline and tastebud approved.  I make sure they are of the highest quality, made from the best ingredients, and will have you living a clean lifestyle.  WHY?  Because i want YOU to succeed at finding good health.   


Superfood Single Girl Skinny Cake

First, you MUST start with the right ingredients:  

patience is number one as it will take 30 minutes to make your cake.
2 egg whites
1/2 a VERY ripe large banana (makes about 1/4 cup mashed)
approx 2 Tbsp almond milk
a quick crank of sea salt
1 tsp coconut oil
AND the most important ingredient is one scoop of the chocolate superfood which you have to get through me right HERE. (i recommend ordering it on HD which will cut costs of shipping - a way better deal.)

I generally use this superfood protein powder to make rich velvety super nutrient dense smoothies like these ones, but sometimes a girl just needs a piece of cake.   You know what i'm saying….

Set your oven to 350
Mash the banana in a bowl
Add the egg whites, superfood powder, coconut oil, and almond milk
Whisk together well until you have the consistency of cake batter
Hit it with a crank of sea salt, stir again

Put in one or two oiled rammakins and bake in the oven for 30 minutes

Whalah- moist, rich, decadent, chocolate superfood cake that you can enjoy for breakfast.  This recipe makes one cake or two minis.  

The full recipe breaks down to UNDER:  350 calories, 10g HEALTHY fats, 7g fiber, 20g protein



xoxo 
meredith 

Granola Biscuit Bites

These granola bites are great for when you're in a pinch running out the door, on the go traveling, camping, or simply mid-morning when you need a little something to get you through until lunch.  They are easy to make, super low calorie, low fat, and made from rolled oats and sweetened with fruit and honey.  Gluten free, soy free, dairy free, granola biscuit bites can be made Vegan by switching out the honey for agave, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, or another vegan-friendly sweetener.  PS - let it be known the dough is just as fun to eat as the cookies.  Plan to yield a couple less than expected due to pre-bake noshing.

Granola Biscuit Bites:

1 very large super ripe (spotty) banana
2 Tbsp of Coconut Butter 
1 tsp coconut oil
2 cup gluten free oats
3 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp golden flaxseed
1 Tbsp pumpkin seeds
1 Tbsp dried blueberries
1 Tbsp dried sour cherries
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350.  Use a food processor with the S blade to combine the coconut oil, coconut butter, honey, sea salt, cinnamon, and banana.  Pulse in the other ingredients until fully moist.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and scoop out spoonfuls of dough to make small mounds.  Bake from 14 - 20 minutes to reach your desired doneness.  Makes approximately 18 cookies.

Nutrition facts per cookie (yield 18): 
Calories: 41
Fat:  2
Carbs: 10
Fiber:  1.5
Protein:  1.7

A Drool-worthy Healthy Cookie. It's True!

I know it sounds fictional...too good to be true.  A drool-worthy healthy cookie?  Yes it's an unlikely marriage of adjectives sandwiched together before the word COOKIE, but i'm telling you, these cookies are damn good (AND HEALTHY!)  A while back i posted about Trailblazer cookies, a recipe i adapted from something i found on Pinterest.  If you made them you'll know they are quite 'good' for a healthy cookie.  These however, ladies and gents, these cookies are REALLY REALLY good, AND if you get all rock and roll on them and toss in some chocolate chips, they might just be out of this world (and still pretty healthy!)  I found the recipe on Kumquat Blog and pretty much mimicked it to the T less the type of dried fruits i used.  I never really measured anything either, but that's just how i cook.   So grab your apron, baking mits, a little kitchen helper, some super ripe spotted bananas, and let's get this cookie party started!



Drool-worthy Healthy Cookies:

1.5 cups gluten free oats       

1 cup dried coconut flakes          

1 Tbsp Ground Flax            

1/2 tsp sea salt  

3/4 cups chopped raw almonds, walnuts, or pecans        

1/2 cup dried fruits

3 very ripe bananas, mashed           

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

1 Tbsp honey, agave, or maple syrup 

1 tsp of vanilla bean or vanilla extract    

parchment paper and a baking sheet

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine oats, coconut, flaxmeal, salt, nuts, and dried fruits. Stir in mashed bananas, coconut oil, sweetener and vanilla until well combined. Taste and adjust if you need more salt or sweet.

Scoop a spoonful of dough into your hands, roll into a ball and place on the parchment lined baking sheet.  Use the back of a drinking glass to press it down to make a flatter circle. Continue with remaining mixture.

Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until fragrant and golden. Cool on the pan.

This yields about 15 cookies.

Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding

Can i officially say "Happy Holidays" yet, or do i have to wait until after Thanksgiving?  

I'm already getting excited about all the holiday-esque foods and treats, my favorite fall harvests like persimmons and squash, and my big owl mug filled with cinnamon and pumpkin spiced tea.

Mm mm mm, Tis the Season!

Truth be told, this year i'll be leading AND participating in a 3 week cleanse from Nov 30th to Dec 19th.  Partly for health purposes, but mostly just to keep me out of russian tea cake trouble.  It seems every year in this season The Pilgrims, Indians, and old St Nick bring with them too many hot buttered rums, sweet potato mashes, and decadent raw pies than my little belly and sexy thighs can handle (mind over matter, trying to think my thighs thin).  I'm going to tackle the stomachache and headache of sweating it all out and off this year by staying on top of the maddness and eating c.l.e.a.n.  So while i'll enjoy a holiday inspired sweet treat here and there, i'm already dreaming about how to fake my favorite fall and winter recipes and make them all super delish and uber healthy.  :)

...Never a lack of sugar plums turned skinny cherubs floating through this hungry girls mind.....

Cut to your recipe today:  Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding.

I love pumpkin pie.  Who doesn't?  I also love chia pudding.  So what would happen if we married the two????  I'll tell you what, pure pumpkin pie chia bliss.  Here's your healthier recipe.

Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding:

2 cups vanilla almond milk (i used trader joes brand but you could make your own if you were on a cleanse)

1/2 to 1 tsp of vanilla extract

4 Tbsp whole chia seed

approx 5 pitted medjool dates (reach your desired sweetness with more or less dates or add a little liquid  stevia)

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

one small pinch of sea salt (to offset sweetness)

1/2 cup of pumpkin puree (i used canned, but surely you could roast a pumpkin and puree it)

Put everything in a Vita mix or high powered blender and blend away.  Store in a glass container in the fridge to thicken.  Will thicken in a few hours, but even more so overnight.


If you'd like to cleanse with me in San Diego contact me at meredith.gnau@corepoweryoga.com

Here is our class/meeting schedule:
Nov 30 (friday) 6:30pm - 9:30pm
Wed's  Dec 5th, 12th, and 19th 6:30pm to 9:30pm
two sundays Dec 9th and 16th (which include a guided yoga practice) 7:30am - 9:30am

all meetings are held at Core Power Point Loma

My Slutty Pie

Oh, you dirty dog, you.  I knew that title and picture would get your attention.

But alas, that's what you are getting today:  A little looksie at my slutty pie.

It was the boyfriend's birthday, and like every other year i wanted to create a fun treat for him.  When he saw what i was up to he politely suggested i not worry about it and we get a cake or dessert out.

Hmmm, i thought....since when aren't you down with my bakin' bebe?  

But then i came to realize that i'm a complete tweaker.  I can't help but tweak each recipe i find and try to enhance it by replacing crap ingredients with something uber healthy.  I suppose he didn't want another year of protein powder truffles, sponge-y low fat pumpkin cupcakes made with banana to replace the oil, or a walnut based cake sans the fluff-worthy flour.  What he wanted was what he considered traditional dessert/birthday foods- pies and cakes made with oil, sugar, flour, eggs, butter, and love.

Feelings aside, I get it and it is his birthday, so i thought i'd oblige and make him what my girlfriend referred to as a slutty cake (or in this case a slutty pie).  After pinning a bunch of recipes, i stumbled upon a raw vegan recipe for coconut cream pie (he'd been eyeing a coconut pie at the market for months now).  It was this video that inspired my recipe, and they made it look, well......easy as pie.


Word of CAUTION to all you waistline watchers:

This is by far the easiest to make and easiest to eat, most delicious, AND MOST FATTENING Coconut Cream Pie ever!  It is NOT low fat or low calorie, but it is made from wholesome ingredients.  If you are on a diet, DO NOT MAKE THIS CAKE FOR YOURSELF OR ANYONE ELSE FOR THAT MATTER!!!  It's impossible not to indulge in it.

....AND that's why she's considered a slutty pie.  This pie puts out with major seductive mouth feel.  She's an incredible tease:  one taste won't be enough.  Plus she's just the right amount of sweetness, softness, and decadence, therefore making her the perfect amount of pie sluttiness.

My Slutty Coconut Cream Pie will take you about 20 minutes from start to end (don't let my long winded instructions fool you).  Perhaps i should call it afternoon delight instead???

The Flirtatious Pie Crust ingredients:

3 cups shredded coconut
pinch salt
dash cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
pitted medjool dates (about 1 cup)

The Sensual Pie Filling ingredients:

one 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk (or blend the flesh from a few coconuts with a little coco water)
meat/flesh from one thai baby coconut
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
pinch of salt
tsp of vanilla extract
pitted medjool dates (about 6 big ones)
coconut water

To make your slutty crust:

Fit your food processor with an S blade.  Put the shredded coconut in with salt, vanilla extract, and dash of cinnamon.  Turn the processor on and drop in pitted medjool dates one at a time.  You want the crust to stick together when you pinch it, but easily break apart when you tear that pinched piece in two.  Check occasionally as you go, this will help you determine how many dates you need.

To make the slutty filling:

Add canned coconut milk, meat from one coconut, melted coconut oil, pitted dates, vanilla, and pinch of salt to your blender/Vitamix.  Add coconut water to meet the consistency of a very thick smoothie.  (I used about 3/4 of the water the coconut provided....most likely it was a little more than a cup).

How to finish up your slutty pie:

Grease a pie pan with coconut oil - this is important so the crust doesn't stick.

Dump the contents of food processor into the greased pie pan.  Distribute evenly and from the center out use your fist to gently press the crust down.  Use your fingers along the sides to help coax the crust up the sides of the pan.

Pour the filling into the crust.  Cover with more shredded coconut and optionally shredded dark chocolate and freeze for a few hours.  Remove from freezer and allow to thaw.  (Doesn't take long).  Enjoy.  Store remainder in freezer or fridge.


Oh btw's,  i didn't mention to the boyfriend that this pie was raw vegan until he gobbled it down.   I suppose he just kinda-sorta liked it.  This is what the pie looked like the next day at noon.....

nearly gone!  LOL.  

Hardly even enough left for me to photog for ye ole' blog.  Perhaps i need to have a slutty pie intervention with him???

Pinterest Cookies, Chia Trailblazers, & DIY Hemp-milk

I've stumbled upon about a bazillion renditions of these fruit and oat cookies on pinterest.  The concept is skip the flours, skip the refined sugars, skip the oils and butter, and use apple sauce, mashed bananas, oats, and dried fruits.  In theory it sounds good, but in the end there is definitely something missing.  

FAT.  

Fat tastes good, gives good mouth feel, and makes cookies yummy.  I know this from all the bad recipes i've made in the past while trying to widdle my waistline, but pinterest had me convinced otherwise.  I added a 1/2 cup of walnuts to my cookies anyway, and while they are definitely yummy and took me no time to devour, i chose to make my second batch with dried coconut, nuts, seeds, and dates.  

Welcome the Chia Trailblazer Cookie. 

The addition of fats was fabulous, and made them taste more like a soft granola cookie.  These make a great high energy snack, or on the go breakfast biscuit.  Recipes below.

As you know from my last blog, my boyfriend completed his first cleanse ever.  3 days straight on green juice.  I'm truly impressed.  I only made it two days before i was hovering over a pot of steaming carrots, my vegetable of choice to wash down the butter and salt i was desperately deprived of.

Good news came from the cleanse.  Boyfriend has a new found interest in health and while he's always been a fan of chia pudding, he's bananas over it right now.  I opened the container he'd made the night before only to realize it was un-scrapably empty.  What he was yet to learn is that you probably don't want to eat that much fiber rich chia pudding in one sitting.  Unknowingly he was still cleansing, tee hee.

Inspired by his new healthy ways, he asked me to help him make his first home made batch of hemp milk.

 I started by giving him this incredibly difficult shopping list:  "hemp seeds and dates."

Well we're one for two.  The hemp seeds arrived.  Thankfully i was able to find a few vagrant dates still lurking in my fridge-y from my last hot and heavy love affair with them.

DIY Hemp Milk:

1 cup hempseeds

7 cups pure water

5 pitted medjool dates

1/2 - 1 tsp vanilla extract

Simply blend everything together in a VitaMix or high-speed blender.

Strain it over a big bowl through a nut milk bag, paint strainer bag, or fine mesh strainer.

Store in an airtight pitcher in fridge, holds for about 4-5 days.

If you're inspired to make chia pudding blend in a few more pitted dates to make your milk really sweet, then add 3/4 cup chia seeds to about 5 - 6 cups of hemp milk (or I prefer almond milk).  You can sprinkle in cinnamon and a dash of sea salt to balance sweetness.  Stir it well, cover and refrigerate.  Check in a little bit and stir it some more.  It'll thicken up within an hour or so.  If you wait a while and it's not thick enough toss in a few more chia seeds and stir well again.  When serving you can add fresh fruit or superfoods like gojis and cacao nibs.

pinterest cookies and DIY hemp milk

Now back to these pinterest cookies.  Here was the first 'lower fat' run. 

Dry ingredients, put into a large mixing bowl:

1/2 cup walnuts with 1 Tbsp flax broken up lightly in the food processor.

2 cups of gluten free rolled oats

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Wet ingredients:

1/3 cup applesauce (i food processed 2 pink ladies without skin)

3 very ripe bananas peeled

1 date

1 tsp vanilla

blend all in food processor

Add wet ingredients into the dry.  Mix well.  If not wet enough add 1/4 cup of hemp or almond milk (i added the homemade hemp milk).  Put parchment paper on a baking sheet.  As you scoop cookies up squeeze them into a tight wad, and press and shape onto the baking sheet.

 Bake at 350 degrees for 15  minutes.  This yielded 12 large cookies.

Delicious...but i wanted something more dense, filling, and nutty.

So here's my second batch.

 They rock.  I would have loved to add chocolate chips or cacao nibs, but these were made for a 'clean food' potluck, so no refined foods/flours/sugars/stimulants/etc etc.

Chia Trailblazers Cookies

Mix together 1 Tbsp plus 2 tsp chia seed and 3 Tbsp of vanilla almond milk
stir well and let swell (will turn into a paste)

Mix all dry ingredients and set aside:
1 1/4 cup Gluten Free Oats
1 cup Himalayan Trail Mix (or a mixture of whatever seeds, nuts, and dried fruits you like)
1/2 cup shredded dried coconut
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon

In a food processor start your wet ingredients:
2 peeled and chopped medium pink lady apples (process into applesauce)
add 1 tsp vanilla extract
3 pitted medjool dates
3 med-large RIPE peeled bananas (they should have some brown spots)
blend together well to grind the dates down a bit (there may be a few chunks, that's fine)
Add in the chia paste and blend to combine

Pour your wet ingredients over top the dry, mix really well.  It will be somewhat wet looking, like this.

Lay out your parchment lined baking sheet and heat your oven to 350.

Take small dallops of dough in your palm and gently push down onto your baking sheet, molding edges to make your preferred cookie shape.

Bake at 350 degrees for 17 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool.

This yielded about 32 cookies.  

Each cookie is under 80 calories, with only 3 grams of fat and 1.5 grams of fiber.

Changing The World One Green Drink At A Time.

happiest hour: celery, cuke, lemon, apple, chard, ginger

Last night wrapped another great Wellness Cleanse Group at Core Power.  27 rocking participants gave their all, tried on new things, broke bad habits, and explored a more mindful and healthier approach to eating for the past 3 weeks.  As they are now all discovering, it's only the beginning of the journey.  The foods they thought they couldn't live without now don't have the same appeal.  Everyone is vibrating at a higher level, with clear skin, clear eyes, and abundant energy (sans stimulants - unless you include a healthy dose of green juices, smoothies, and kale to be a stimulant!).

We wrapped with a pot luck, where each participant had to bring a cleanse approved dish.

What an AWESOME buffet!  The picture above was only what the first 8 participants brought...you can only imagine the spread when the rest of the group arrived!  From a pesto nut based 'no-cheese' (inspired by my friend and premier raw food chef, Joy Houston, check out her recipes at the Delicious Revolution), to lentil and carrot soups, fresh fruits, kale salads, and slaws, no matter what you put on your plate it tasted AMAZING and you KNEW it was good for your mind, body, and soul.

My dish was chia pudding from fresh almond milk.  Leftovers will be a base for chia porridge (just add fruit!).

Chia Pudding:

1 cup of soaked almonds
7 cups pure water
6-7 pitted medjool dates
cinnamon to your liking
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 and 1/4 cups chia seed

Make your almond  milk by blending the almonds, dates, and vanilla, in the vitamix.  Blend and run through a nut strainer bag into a large bowl.  Toss back in the blender and add in cinnamon, and any extra dates you want to help sweeten it up.  Stir in chia, let set stirring occasionally.  Put in a pitcher/large jar and refridgerate/set til thick.  (it will continue to thicken as it sets - overnight will produce a very thick pudding).  This pudding is awesome made with cocoa powder as well (however, no chocolate was allowed during the cleanse :)!!

Now with the completion of another amazing detox course under my belt, i can kick back with my pug, put my feet up, and sip my green drink with my heart FILLED with happiness and inspiration i've received from my 27 new found friendships.  ahhhhhh, all in a day's work, or as my friend Shiny Gilly says:

'changing the world one green drink at a time.' 

I think this may just need to be my slogan.  ha!

ma.  any green drink fa'me?